The Reunion
by jmbatt
Summary: They met at the Reflecting Pool after returning to D.C., but Brennan has something to tell Booth before he can tell her about Hannah.  NOTE:  Just to be on the safe side, I upped the rating to T.
1. Chapter 1

**The Reunion **

Introduction

The phone calls from Caroline Julian had them scurrying from all corners of the globe, with a common destination of Washington, D.C. Temperance Brennan and Daisy Wick had the farthest to travel, the trip back from Indonesia and the Maluku Islands would take them almost two days because of layovers. It didn't take Booth long to get back home once he was on his way, but the out-processing paperwork that the military required meant that red tape would keep him in the desert longer than he would have liked and it delayed his arrival. Jack and Angela were loving their time in Paris and would have stayed for the full year, if not for the call from the FBI Prosecutor; but they were the foot loose and fancy free ones of the group and so they just moved with it and made it back home waiting for their old team to get into place.

While on the plane, Brennan had a lot of time to think about her upcoming rendezvous with Booth. She was anxious and nervous all at the same time. There was so much for her to tell him, to talk to him about and she wanted it all to go right. This was an important conversation – possibly _the_ most important talk of her life. To help her organize her thoughts, she had told Daisy that she had field notes to organize and could not be disturbed. Brennan paid for two seats for Ms Wick – in the back cabin of the plane. Brennan felt fairly certain that Daisy wouldn't try to come up to first class and bother her, as the extra seat gave the young woman some extra room to stretch out. Her plan worked, and Temperance had not a single interruption from her intern while in flight.

Time on the island had been very busy and even hectic. As the lead of the operation, Brennan had more on her plate than any of the other scientists. Her first six weeks had been non-stop, and she'd literally spent every waking hour, thinking about the dig and all its components. It wasn't until they'd been there almost two months that she had had time to relax a bit and think about other things. That, of course, meant that Temperance found her thoughts drifting back to her partner, and especially, to the night she turned down Booth's offer of giving them a chance. She would physically wince as she replayed the scene in her mind.

There were some nights where it seemed that the scene was from a movie that was on constant replay. Try as she might, she couldn't get it out of her head that Booth had asked her to give a relationship together a chance. Brennan knew why she'd turned him down. It wasn't because she didn't want what he wanted – on the contrary, she very much wished for a romantic relationship with her partner. She had thought about Booth as a romantic partner for a long time before their confrontation outside the Hoover; but after fantasizing about it (for that is what her rational side told her it was) Brennan would always allow her fear of rejection to take a place front and center, and explain it away. Her rational side would overpower her emotions, and she would tell herself that they were too different, or Booth would tire of her and her ways (she knew she could be difficult to deal with at times), and they wouldn't last together as a couple.

The trouble with these rational thoughts, though, is that they didn't stop Brennan from wanting to know what his touch felt like. She wanted his hands caressing her body, not just one placed on the small of her back. She wanted to explore his mouth again, as she'd done twice before and had never been able to forget those kisses. She wanted a real hug from her best friend, and not just a guy hug. It was these wants and desires that lead Brennan to realize that if she never took the chance, she would regret it for the rest of her life. And so, for five months Brennan thought about how to go about letting Seeley Booth know that she had made a mistake and wanted a second chance at 'them'. She knew that she had time to think about it and so, even after seven months she'd made no attempt to contact Booth. They still had five months to go before their rendezvous at the National Mall.

Brennan didn't put down her thoughts to paper, because she didn't trust that someone wouldn't come into her tent while she was of-site and go through her personal belongings. It had happened early on, that a site assistant had been caught rummaging through tents and taking things. Many personal items belonging to six of the scientists had come up missing. Brennan had her cell phone stolen, along with some of her soap and body lotions. They found many of the items later, being sold on the black market; but the cell phone was never recovered. The loss of the phone seemed unimportant at the time. There was a satellite phone that could be used in an emergency, so Brennan wasn't completely cut off from the rest of the world. It was this phone that Caroline Julian had called her on.

Chapter 1 The Meeting 

Brennan arrived at Dulles Airport and walked directly through the terminal, out the door, to a waiting cab. She had her carry-on bag with her and that was all. She had made arrangements through the plane's steward, for her bags to be collected and delivered the following day to her apartment. Right now, she was on a mission, headed towards the National Mall. She had a meeting with her partner and even though she hadn't talked to him, ever since the call from Caroline Julian, Brennan _knew _that he would be there when she got in.

She still wore the dirty shirt and cargo pants she'd had on when Caroline informed her of the situation. There would be time to shower, change, and sleep later. Right now, there was something important she had to say and she couldn't take the time to change her clothes or freshen up first.

After exiting the cab, Brennan walked to the designated meeting spot, where the coffee cart was usually perched during the day. Taking the time to catch her breath, Temperance slowly looked around. Her eyes were wide and her senses on alert. After only a moment or two she felt him near. Turning around, her face broke out in an involuntary smile as she finally saw the one person she had missed more than anyone. They walked quickly towards each other, dropped their bags at their feet, and hugged.

It was much more than a guy hug. It was a meeting of two very close, very dear friends, truly glad to see each other. They hugged for a long time, and then as they slowly separated, they held on to each others' arms and just looked at the other. It was if they were drinking in the site and burning the view into their memory. It was surreal to Brennan; in the past she knew she would have pulled away to put distance between them, feeling uncomfortable with the close proximity to her partner. Now however, she didn't want to let go of him. It was if by holding on to him, Brennan was gathering the courage to say what she knew she had to say tonight. Without acknowledging it, Brennan sensed that something had changed while Booth was away and she knew that she had to tell him about her revelations before he could say something to interfere with her thoughts.

Looking up into his eyes, Brennan found the courage to speak. Those dark chocolate eyes held so much expression, and at any other time she would have liked to just stare at them for hours. Instead, their comforting gaze propelled her to voice her thoughts. "Booth, I'm so glad to see you. I have so much to tell you. Let's sit over here for a little bit, ok?" And just like that, they picked up their duffle bags and headed for the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial. They had had many good times here through the years, and Brennan hoped this was the starting point for more good memories to come.

As they sat there, Booth pulled out a picture of himself from a jacket pocket. It was if he had the picture ready to show her even before she spoke; but when she did, she asked "was it dangerous in Afghanistan?"

"No. What I did was mostly administrative"

Booth glanced away from the picture as he said the words, leading Brennan to think he was holding something back – "Cause, you seem really very heavily armed in this photo." She was concerned but decided not to push the question any more.

"How about you? Any head hunters or cannibals?" Booth asked with a bit of a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Brennan was glad to know that the charm smile was still there.

"Daisy and I were attacked by armed guerillas. But I… I beat them up and we got away."

"You beat up armed guerillas?"

"I had to. You weren't there to save me" she said with what Booth took as Brennan's version of a cocky smile.

Booth shook his head and laughed as he asked his next question. "Oh Bones"… he laughed… "So – did you meet anyone special?"

Brennan almost let out a gasp at this question, because she knew what she wanted to tell him – that she met up with her reality while on the island and she'd realized it was the man now sitting next to her. Instead, she deflected back to her squinty way of talking because it was her 'normal' way to speak. "You mean, did I have sex with anyone?"

"I missed that about you. You just cut right to the chase."

_It worked!_ She said to herself as she breathed an internal sigh of relief. They were still communicating on the same wavelength – that was going to be important with what she was about to tell him. "Well, I was working, so there was no time or inclination for sex… or romance." At that, Brennan paused slightly and Booth was about to say something but she rushed back in to talk, not wanting him to interrupt while she had her thoughts organized.

"But, I did have a special someone who occupied my thoughts" and with that comment Booth raised an eyebrow. The surprise of her words kept him quiet, and with that Brennan continued in her awkward way. "About six weeks into the project, after we fell into a routine and the worked settled down and I had time for quiet reflection, I began to think about **us**, Booth."

This caught the FBI man off guard. He did not expect Bones to say this. "What do you mean, _thinking about us_, Bones?"

"Well, I replayed that night in front of the Hoover building when you asked that I give _us _a chance."

"Bones, don't go there. Really. You don't have to. I get it. I…"

Booth didn't get to finish his thoughts because Brennan cut him off with her small delicate hand on top of his arm. The touch seemed to make him mute and even through his fatigues, Booth could feel her warmth coming through and reaching to his core. Up until now he hadn't realized how much he had missed his partner's touch. He couldn't help the smile that broke across his face, as he looked at her seated next to him.

"Booth, as I said, I had a lot of time to think about things… and the one thought that wouldn't leave me alone was that I had blurted out my rejection out of fear. I let my old fears and inadequacies take hold, and I know that was wrong. You told me once that you would never hurt me - and I believe you, Booth."

Booth was staring at his friend with a questioning look on his face. It made Brennan anxious, because she knew she had to get this right and she had to tell him now. She couldn't put it off and think about it any more. She was tired of thinking about that night, and had to get herself past it, so she just kept on talking. "It was a mistake for me to tell you no, Booth. I desperately wanted a different kind of partnership with you. I still do; I want to give _us_ a chance."

At that, she stopped. Brennan had known it wasn't a sure thing that Booth would still want a romantic relationship with her; after all, it had been almost nine months since that night. For all she knew, Booth might have taken time to think about it and decided he wanted to keep their relationship as friends and work partners only. He had said that he needed to move on – Brennan hoped that he hadn't taken his own advice since that fateful night. This new thought occupied Brennan's head, and had her bite her lower lip in frustration.

Booth stood there looking at his friend and wasn't sure what to say. He'd dreamt of Bones saying something like this. He couldn't count the number of nights he had stared out his tent to the stars above, asking God why Bones couldn't get past her fears and take a chance on them. Now she was speaking the words he'd longed to hear last year outside the FBI offices. The trouble was, he had met someone over in the desert – a woman reporter, and had started a relationship with her. She was still in Afghanistan when Booth left to come home. He didn't know what would come of their relationship now that he was in DC and she was half a world away. He'd told the woman that he had to go home to be there for his son – that was the main reason, but the official reason that got him out of his contract with the army was the Federal Prosecutor needing him on a case. They'd left things up in the air and Booth had told her he would call once he got settled in. Now, he wasn't sure what he would tell her. With a perplexed look on his face, Booth turned to Brennan.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Bones belongs to those people at Fox. If it was my show, you-know-who would never have been a part of it!

Thanks for the reviews to the first chapter! I love hearing what you all think about it, and especially with a first chapter, where you think the story is going to go. All I'll say right now is relax! I'm a B & B shipper through and through. (Keep that thought in mind as you read this next chapter)

Chapter 2 

Brennan sat on the cold granite steps of the Lincoln Memorial, waiting for a response from her partner and friend. She had stopped talking a full minute before, and the silence was deafening. Before arriving back in the states, as she'd sorted out her thoughts, she'd been so sure of her feelings… so sure of them and this being the right thing to do. But now, with her declaration spoken, Booth had not said a word. The longer they sat in silence, the more she began to doubt herself.

Finally Booth cleared his throat. The action brought Brennan's eyes up to meet his, and she was unsure of what she saw in them. He stared at her for a few moments before clearing his throat again to speak. "Bones"… he stopped and started, trying to get his thoughts organized…"geez, I wish you would have called me or something, before we got back here…"

"Booth, I couldn't call you… I…" as Brennan tried to organize her own thoughts she found herself getting flustered. "I lost my cell phone over there – it was stolen not long after we got there. The only other phone was the satellite phone and that was meant only for emergencies."

"So you didn't keep in contact with anyone else? Good to know it wasn't just me." Booth didn't know what to think or what to say, so he had grabbed onto that one piece of information that had been nagging at him while they'd been gone. She had looked so confused and maybe even a little sad when they'd said goodbye at the airport – he had wondered about her and was desperate for some contact with her. He refused to call her though, because he knew she needed some time to sort things out.

"Booth… I was over there to work so I didn't plan to be talking on the phone with people. And besides, the longer I went without outside contact, the more I found I was able to focus on what I needed to think about. I found my thoughts kept returning to that night and my rejection of your offer." As she stopped to take a breath, Brennan looked away for a second and then returned to his face. She had missed seeing him, just being with him. Looking back into his eyes, she smiled a shy, sad smile. Booth saw it and couldn't help but smile as well - because even though he'd met someone, he had still missed his Bones.

Booth knew he had to say what was on his mind. He didn't know what was going to happen with it all, but he couldn't keep it from her. "Bones, while I was over in the desert, I… I met someone." The way Brennan's head shot up, Booth was sure she would give herself whiplash. He saw a very brief, but very real pained look on her face before she was able to mask her emotions once again. He hated doing this to her, but he couldn't live a lie. "I met this woman, a journalist… a war correspondent."

"What's her name?"

"Hannah. Hannah Burley."

"How… how'd you meet?"

"Well, I arrested her for being in a restricted area."

"You arrested me once" she said with a small quirky smile.

"I remember."

"Where's Hannah now?"

"She's in Iraq."

"Is she coming back to the states? Or, are you going back once we help Cam with this case?"

"No, I'm not going back. I realized while I gone that I needed to be here for Parker. I'm not going back. And I don't know what she's planning to do. We kinda left things up in the air, 'cause I left in such a rush."

Brennan had to ask the next question, even though she knew that the answer might hurt her. "Well, is it serious, Booth?"

"I don't know, Bones. I mean, we enjoyed each other's company over there – and I'm not just talking about sex, Bones… so don't go getting all 'biological urges' on me here" he said with a chuckle. Brennan watched him laugh, but she couldn't join in. Her mind was still reeling from what he had just told her.

Brennan didn't know whether to be happy or sad with this news. She had told herself that Booth might move on. He had said that he had to, that night outside the Hoover; it just never occurred to her that Booth might start a relationship over in the desert. She had been so focused on her work during the daytime, and thinking about them at night, that the thought had never seriously crossed her mind that Booth might actually meet and date someone while they were apart.

The thought of what it all meant made her nauseous. As her stomach rolled, she stood. She felt like she needed to move, to get some air, and so she began to pace. Booth watched her, knowing that he had just shocked her; but hell, she'd given him quite a shock with her declaration about wanting to give them a chance! Both of them needed time to catch their breaths from the news they had thrown on each other tonight. Booth broke the stalemate that was developing between them. "Bones, maybe we should go check in with everyone, and then get some sleep. I know I'm dog-tired, and you must be too. A good night's sleep in our own beds, a shower and a shave… and we can talk about all this tomorrow. What'cha say, partner?"

The term _partner c_aught Brennan's ear. It was the first hopeful thought she'd had since Booth had told her about the reporter. "Yes, that sounds like a good thing to do" she said. And as she voiced the words, Brennan turned to walk towards the Jeffersonian Institute.

"Whoa… hey Bones, where're you going?"

"To the Lab."

"Cam's not there anymore."

"Why?"

"You really didn't keep in touch with anyone… this way, Bones. To the FBI building" and with that they walked quietly the short distance to their destination.

a/n: Reviews help me know if my thoughts are coming through in the chapters. I like knowing what the readers think, so, leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Bones or the characters. If I did, they wouldn't be in the mess they are currently in.

Chapter 3

Seeing everyone, being back together…it all felt right to Brennan. She was planning to go back to Maluku once this case was over, but seeing her friends once again, she felt a contentment that she hadn't felt in a while. It was as if time apart had brought them closer together somehow. Brennan shook off the thought for the time being, and simply stood back to take in the site of the seven of them together once again.

After getting briefed by Caroline and Cam, and finding out about her interns having scattered to the winds, Brennan headed for home. Tomorrow she would search for Wendell and dive into the identity of the child's skeleton on Cam's exam table. Brennan didn't talk to Booth once he left the meeting room; but she knew they'd meet up tomorrow. For now, a hot shower and a comfortable bed at home were her top priorities.

Booth went home as well. He stopped & picked up food from Sid's, along with a six-pack of ice cold beer. What beer he could get while in the desert was lukewarm at best. He had also been looking forward to the same hot shower and comfortable bed that Bones had mentioned she would be taking advantage of once she got to her apartment. The only difference between them was that Booth had not called his Super to tell him he was arriving back home so the water heater hadn't been turned on. The refrigerator hadn't been plugged in either, so that meant a cold shower and a hot fridge. At least his bed was there, with clean sheets, waiting for him. He ate his food, downed a couple beers while they were still cold, and went to bed.

As he shucked his clothes off and left them in a pile on the floor, he grumbled to himself that things sure hadn't turned out like he'd thought they would tonight… and he didn't mean just at his apartment! Bones had taken him completely by surprise with her admission that she wanted to give them a chance. Why couldn't she have had this realization nine months ago! He had been beside himself when she'd blurted out that she had changed her mind. As Bones was telling him about her feelings and admitting she'd made a hasty mistake, all Booth could think of was _you go from no one interested in you, to two beautiful women, in the space of less than a year_. It was as if fate was mocking him and he had no clue as to what he was going to do about it. Eventually he closed his eyes and drifted off, but it was a fitful sleep.

One day on the case, and Booth and Brennan proved that their old magic was still there. The team determined that the skeleton in the Coroner's office was not that of the missing child, Logan Bartlett. Booth called Caroline in and together the two explained why they knew that the child was not the kidnap victim. As the team gathered at the Founding Fathers for a celebratory drink, everyone was feeling good that they were still working together so well. They congratulated each other on their skills, and it wasn't until Angela again mentioned that they still didn't know the identity of the remains, that they became somewhat sober. The others soon went their way, leaving Booth and Brennan as the last two at the bar.

They ordered one more round and as they drank it, awkwardness began to settle in. Neither one wanted to mention the elephant in the room that was yesterday's conversation; yet they both knew the conversation needed to be picked up. Finally breaking the stalemate, Booth put his drink down and turned so that he was directly facing his partner. "Bones, about last night, and what you said you'd realized while you were in the Makapoopoo Islands…"

Brennan had been waiting for him to bring up her thoughts about _them_, and while she agreed they needed to talk, she wasn't up to it tonight. It had been a long day at the make-shift lab that Cam now called her office. Brennan had no trouble putting in the time, as she'd become used to long days working outside in somewhat primitive conditions. However she was unprepared emotionally to work with Booth all day, after her revelation to him the night before. She'd become so used to bottling up her emotions, that once she had let them out of the bottle to examine them while in Maluku, she couldn't put them away quickly and completely.

She'd spent all day working beside her partner with one half of her brain focusing on the details of the child's death and his identity, and the other one wondering what her partner was thinking about it all. She found the whole ordeal to be very taxing emotionally and as she sat at the bar, Brennan was drained. As Booth began to talk, Brennan cut him off. "Booth… please… I know we need to talk about this. Believe me, I've spent innumerable evenings anxiously going over this and I **want** to have this conversation with you. But, can I take a weather receipt for tonight, please? I'm extremely tired and I want to be fully cognizant when we talk."

Booth didn't know what to say at first. He was of practice in translating squint, and it took him a few seconds to figure out what Bones was saying to him. When it finally dawned on him, he let out a sigh. "Yeah Bones, but it's _take a rain check_ – not weather receipt" he said with a small laugh. He wanted to say more, but before he spoke again he took a second to look at his partner's face and realized that she really did look tired and worn out. He finished his drink and stood up. Brennan got up as well and before she could reach for it, Booth had her coat and held it out to help her put it on. To his surprise, Bones didn't roll her eyes or let out a heavy sigh to signify displeasure at his chivalrous actions. This lack of response caused Booth's eye to quirk up. _Maybe she has changed_, he thought.

They walked outside and Booth opened the door to the cab waiting at the curb. As they said goodnight, Booth leaned in and gave a chaste peck to Brennan's cheek. She had awkwardly done the same to him, and then she got into the cab. When the cab was a block away Booth turned and walked to his SUV. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week went by in a blur for Brennan and Booth. They discovered the identity of the small skeleton; Logan Bartlett was discovered in a playground with his father, and returned to his mother. Before the end of the case Brennan had decided to not return to Indonesia to complete the dig. She was needed and wanted here, and she couldn't go back without feeling that she was being selfish. She stayed both for herself, and for the good of the team.

Before their next case came up during the second week after their return home, the partners had still not really talked again about Brennan's declaration that she wanted to try a romantic relationship between the two. At times they were pensive and distant with each other; and at others it was like old times – they bantered back and forth, bickered about things as usual. But, they were always careful to not bring up the subject of 'them'. Both partners new it was only a matter of time before they had to discuss it. While neither could muster up the courage to start the conversation, it didn't keep them both from separately running scenarios in their heads.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bones belongs to Fox.**

**Thanks for the reviews so far. It helps to know what people think of the story – good or bad.**

Chapter 4

Booth would play back that night outside the Hoover Building, and two thoughts would come to mind. First, he wondered how he could have been so stupid for asking Bones to give '_them_' a chance and then not give her time for it all to sink in. Noooo, he had to push right ahead when she got scared and came up with reasons why it wouldn't work. He should have given her time but instead, twenty seconds after he asked her to enter into a romantic relationship with him, Booth told her that he had to move on. Talk about stupid! He knew she didn't handle change well and that any change in relationship would have to be done slowly and precisely – not blurted out like a salesman who couldn't wait to make a grand announcement! God, what a fool he had been! No wonder Bones couldn't handle it and ran off to the far ends of the world.

The second thought that would hit Booth in the chest when he replayed that night was that Bones was wrong about her not being able to change. She'd said that she was a scientist, not a heart person and she couldn't change her being; but Booth had lots of examples to prove her wrong. She had worked hard to learn how to fit in with people, and she had come out of her shell a lot in the six years they'd known each other. She had a bigger heart than most people; the only difference being that Bones didn't realize it. For all the money that Hodgins has, Booth doubted whether Jack would have paid to have the bridge rebuilt in that small West Virginia town just so that the odds would improve for baby Andy to have a chance at a better life.

Booth could count off on his hands the times Bones went above and beyond for people, and did it only because she cared and not for any kind of recognition: paying for Wendell's scholarship; buying the pig for Angela; convincing Cam to adopt Michelle; putting herself at risk to help keep her father out of jail, even after the man had abandoned her at age 15; and even for him, Bones had gone against her better judgment and kept Max on the payroll at the Jeffersonian **only** because Booth had asked her to do it to help with Parker's schooling. All of these things Bones had done out of the goodness of her heart… and yet she couldn't see that she had changed so much and grown so much though the years. She had blossomed as a woman and as an individual, and yet she still saw herself as the awkward, socially inept scientist unable to love.

As Booth lay in his bed on yet another night, thinking about the transformation his partner had been through, he wondered why she still wanted him. She was such a wonderful person and she didn't deserve someone as screwed up as he was. And on top of all that guilt he laid upon himself, he would then think about Hannah. What to do with that? He had enjoyed her company over in the desert that was for sure. She came along at a time when he was down, and made him feel worthy of being loved. He hadn't meant for it to get any kind of serious, but he could now see where they had gotten more involved than he ever would have thought they would. He hadn't called her but she had called him. The first time he picked it up, not looking at the caller I.D. Luckily he'd just dropped Bones off at the Lab and they could talk. The next time she'd called he had been on a case with Brennan, and when he saw the name he'd let it go to voicemail. That was this morning, and he knew he had to call her back and talk to her.

Brennan had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the two of them, and what might become of her announcement that she was ready to take a chance at romantic relationship with Booth. After she had blurted out the words as they sat by the Reflecting Pool, they had hardly talked about it. The one time Booth had really tried to bring up the subject, she was emotionally drained from their first day back and working on the case for Cam. She'd asked Booth for a 'rain check' and he'd granted her wish… just as he'd granted her request that night outside the Hoover Building to not push for a change in their status. How crazy was she, Brennan thought to herself! Here, her partner had laid his heart on his sleeve (someone had explained that metaphor to her and she now could finally understand it) and acting rashly and out of fear she turned him down. Then, not more than a minute later, she asks him if they can still be partners – and he agrees to it!

If someone had asked, Brennan could tell them how many nights she had stared out her tent, cataloging the constellations and thinking about Seeley Booth… wondering if he would still want her as a romantic partner after all she had done to push him away. The one ray of hope that Brennan had clung to, like a seafarer adrift in the open ocean with only a piece of flotsam to keep her from sinking, was their last meeting at the airport. Booth had surprised her and shown up, just as the announcement had been made for their flight. When he told her they would meet at the Reflecting Pool _one year from today_, it made her heart soar. It was beating so irregularly that even after she'd been seated on the plane, her pulse was wild and erratic and she'd almost summoned the stewardess to ask for medical help. As she settled down, Brennan took his words to mean he was holding out hope for the two of them as a couple.

She had known for a couple of years that she would like to try a different kind of partnership with Booth. Long ago she had lost count of the nights she'd fallen asleep thinking of him and wondering what it would feel like to lay in his arms. It had been a secret wish – one she barely acknowledged even to herself in the light of day; because to admit to wanting that kind of relationship with him might put their partnership in jeopardy and as much as she wanted the one, Brennan was unwilling to give up the other. And so she had harbored secret wishes, until Booth brought it all out in the open and took her by surprise.

Now, both had admitted to wanting more, but they were still at a stalemate.

At midnight Washington D.C. time, Booth picked up his phone and dialed Afghanistan. It was 8am and he knew the person he was calling would have been up for a while already.

"Seeley!"

"Hi Hannah. Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already up. Hey baby, it's good to hear your voice," the reporter purred into the phone.

Booth was not looking forward to this conversation with his overseas girlfriend. When he started dating her, he did so because he thought Bones and he would never become romantically involved like he had hoped. Brennan had turned down his offer that night outside the Hoover; and after four months in the desert and no word from her, Booth had concluded that they would never be more than friends and work partners. He had moved on and taken a huge step, allowing himself to date someone and had begun to give his heart to her. Anyone who knew Seeley Booth would agree that he was being true to himself – he would never cheat on a woman he was involved with. It broke his heart a little to realize that he was now free to date another because that meant that he was moving on from Bones. Still, he felt he had to do it and so he'd pushed thoughts and images of Bones out of his mind and concentrated on being happy and in the present.

That was then, and now… now he was staying true to himself and who he was at his core. Now it was time to let Hannah know that while he had cared for her, enjoyed and appreciated the time they spent together in Afghanistan, Booth was ready to take a step _back_ while taking a huge leap forward. He knew that there was still a decent chance that things with Bones wouldn't work out the way they had in his coma dream (and the dozens of other dreams he'd had about her through the years); but he knew that Bones would always hold the top spot in his heart and he couldn't walk away from his first choice when there was an honest chance of a romantic relationship with her.

Right before Booth had called Afghanistan, he had replayed in his mind a brief conversation with Avalon Harmonia. The psychic had told the partners _'they were gonna keep on doing what you are doing'_ for a while, and Booth had responded that sometimes you had to settle for second best. Now he understood that if he stayed with Hannah that was exactly what he would be doing. Bones was number one, and anyone else would always be second best in his heart if he didn't give this new opportunity an honest chance.

"Yeah, it's good to hear your voice; to know you're being safe and not taking risks that could get you hurt or in trouble." Even though he was going to end their relationship with this phone call, Booth was still concerned for her safety. The alpha male in him would have it no other way. Unfortunately, the reporter didn't pick up on that vibe. Instead, she took his words as encouragement of their relationship.

"Seeley, I miss you. Do you to know that I think of you every night when I'm lying in bed? Sometimes, I imagine that you're with me and doing things to me. It gets me really excited, Seeley, and I…

"Hannah!" Booth had to stop this now or he'd never be able to tell her what was on his mind. "Hannah, please. I need to talk to you about something" he said with a sharp tone.

The way he had barked out the last words told her before she ever asked; but the inquisitive nature of the reporter made her voice her question anyway. "What are you saying, babe?"

"Hannah, please." Booth decided he had to cut to the chase. "Hannah, I'm calling to tell you that I'm breaking up with you. I'm ending our relationship."

There, he'd done it. Kind of like ripping a bandage off – better to do it quick than drag it out. Unfortunately, the woman on the other end of the phone was busy trying to put that bandage back over the open wound.

"Seeley, nooo! What are you saying? Why? What happened, sweetheart?"

Booth could hear the hurt, the confusion, and the denial in her voice. He knew it was a surprise to her, and he would have liked to have broken the news more gently, but she'd left him no choice when she'd gone on about how she was missing him. He knew that in the long run it was the right course of action to take; but right now he was conflicted. "Hannah, I'm sorry to do it this way. You deserve better… but I can't live a lie. That wouldn't be fair to you."

By now Hannah had regrouped, and the hurt started to come through. "What happened, Seeley? That bitch you work with do something to get you crawling back to her?" Hannah had wondered about the true nature of their relationship. When they'd first met, Booth had talked quite a lot about 'Bones this, and Bones that'… it had made her wonder about the woman and just what kind of partners they were. Booth had told Hannah that he'd wanted a romantic relationship with Brennan, but that he'd been turned down. The reporter had always wondered what the full story between them was. Now she had her own conceived notions.

He could hear the venom in her voice and there was no way he would let her talk about Bones like that. "Hannah, stop! This is not Bones' fault. This is something I came to on my own" (ok, that was a white lie – Bones' change of heart was the catalyst for the breakup, but Hannah didn't need to know that). He continued on before she could but in, "I have had some time away from both of you now, and I realized that it would never work out with us, long term."

"Long term! What ever gave you the idea I wanted a long term relationship with you Seeley? I mean, we had a lot of fun together over here, but I never told you I wanted something long term or permanent!"

That last comment did it. Booth had been feeling bad about breaking up with her over the phone, but she was showing her true colors, and Booth disliked the picture playing out before him more and more. "Hannah, I've got to go. Goodbye." And with those last words, Booth hung up the phone. He had hoped it would have all gone down smoother, but he knew that most breakups were not easy or smooth.

As he put the phone down on the counter, Booth blew out a long breath. Part one was done; now to move on to part two. First, he went to the fridge and got out a **cold **beer, opened it and took a long drink from the bottle. Walking over to his couch he grabbed his cell. After getting settled, he sent Bones a text: "I'll pick u up 7:30 4 breakfast. Need 2 talk 2 u! Dont call 2nite." After hitting the send button, Booth put down the phone and picked up his beer. He really wanted to call Bones tonight – or better yet, go over to her apartment. But, he also wanted to do this right, and going to her place after midnight on a work night didn't make sense. Better to talk to her in person, in the morning. As he finished the beer, Booth walked to the kitchen, put it in the recycling bin, and headed off to bed. He was asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow – a calm settled over him and he drifted off to sleep wearing a smile. That same smile would be on his face when he woke up the next morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 6 

Sleep didn't come easy for Brennan after she'd received Booth's text. She had been awake, working on a chapter of her latest novel; the words had been flowing all evening and she had been really pleased with the thoughts she had put down. Getting up to refresh her glass of water, Brennan was walking by the counter when her cell phone announced an incoming text message. She had a feeling who might be contacting her at the late hour. It used to be that neither one liked to text, but since they'd come back from Maluku and Afghanistan, Booth had fallen into a habit of texting her instead of phoning. If she was the kind to delve deeper into 'hidden meanings' of things, she would have found several justifications for the texts instead of talking face-to-face or on the phone; but that would mean she was delving into psychology, and that was something Brennan said she abhorred!

She reached the kitchen counter to put her glass down, and clicked on the phone to view the message. Reading the text for the first time, Brennan was somewhat confused. '_He wants to talk to me, but not now… he wants to wait until the morning'_. She wanted to take the words to mean he had something good to tell her – but she told herself it could easily be words of rejection that she would hear tomorrow.

Brennan knew better than to leap to assumptions. Her rational mind told her to relax, and see what Booth had to say in the morning. Her rational side, however, had recently made room for a more emotional side of Temperance Brennan to come forward. It was this battle that her brain was engaged in. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, but it was not a restful slumber.

A strange sound invaded the sleep-addled consciousness of Temperance Brennan. When she had nodded off to sleep for the umpteenth time, the last glance at the clock had read 6:35am. The knocking at the door was a foreign sound to her. That is, until her brain engaged, she looked at the clock, and realized that it was now 7:29am! "Oh shit" Brennan gasped! She leapt up from the bed, grabbed a robe, and ran to the door. She opened it as Booth was forcefully bringing his hand towards the hard surface once more, and as Brennan swung the door open his momentum carried him further and caused him to take a half-step to catch his balance.

"Whoa, Bones! Hey, sorry about that. I didn't mean to knock on your head." He was WAYYY too awake for the early hour that it was, and Brennan couldn't appreciate the whole scene because she was still trying to come to grips with all that was going on. She stood there with her hair disheveled, sleepy eyes, and her robe only half tied across her waist. Of course to Booth, she looked gorgeous. '_So this is what the famous Dr. Brennan looks like first thing in the morning, huh! Catalog this information for later, Ranger…' _He had woken her up before when they had a case, but he didn't remember her looking so cute and yet so feminine before.

Brennan was just realizing what she must look like, and said a hasty, "hello Booth. I'll be right back" as she turned and practically sprinted towards her bedroom. She swung the door closed as she passed through, leaving Booth standing in her living room holding two cups of coffee, a paper bag with a cheese Danish & an orange scone, and a bouquet of daffodils. He walked over to the kitchen table and set the food items down. He knew his way around Bones' kitchen, and that made him smile at the familiarity. It further set the resolve in his heart, knowing that he knew his Bones as well as he knew her apartment. Some things don't change that quickly, and the thought brought a smile to his face as he pulled down a vase for the flowers.

By the time Brennan re-emerged from her bedroom, Booth had made himself comfortable at the table, and was sipping his coffee. Brennan came over and joined him, taking a sip of her coffee and then peaking into the brown paper bag placed between them. She smiled outwardly when she spied the goodies, taking them out and placing Booth's pastry on a plate in front on him. She licked her fingers to get the sugary flakes that had been left behind, and smiled again. She put the scone on the second plate, pulling it towards her, and said "thanks Booth." She took a bite of her pastry, and settled back in her chair.

They sat at the table for a minute or two, neither talking, just taking in the whole scene. Finally Brennan broke the silence and stated "I had trouble deciphering your text message last night."

"Oh. I was wondering if you knew that I'd sent it. I thought that maybe you were asleep when I texted you… I mean, it appears that you were still asleep when I got here" Booth could feel his face getting hot, as he struggled for the right words to say.

For her part, Brennan was enjoying the fact that Booth seemed a bit flustered. She wouldn't let herself admit it outright, but in the back of her brain she knew that something was up – and the chances of it being something good, had just gained momentum. "Booth, what's got you all knitted up this morning?" As she asked the question, Brennan deflected her eyes to her plate and studied her pastry. She knew what she was saying and she'd purposely said it wrong, as a way of easing her partner's anxiety. Even though she was enjoying it all, she didn't want him so flustered that he dropped whatever news he had for her and left her wondering.

"It's knotted up, Bones; not knitted. I don't knit. And you know, sometimes I think you mess up the words on purpose…" his words were accusatory, but they were said with a laugh and when she looked up at him, there was a twinkle in his eyes that immediately relaxed them both. They looked at each other in one of their 'moments' that lasted for a good while, until Booth's stomach started to rumble. After a small laugh from them both, Brennan said "that's a sign that you'd better eat" and with that she picked up her pastry and took a bite. Booth did the same, until all that was left were a few crumbs.

As he wiped off the crumbs and sugar flakes from his fingers, Booth cleared his throat. It was the signal Brennan had been waiting for – she knew he had something to tell her and had been waiting patiently. "Bones, I called and talked to Hannah last night."

She didn't know what to say to this, or how Booth had meant that statement. "Oh. Is she still in the desert?" It seemed like the safest thing she could say. Brennan really did want to know if she was in the mid-east, but only because she hoped the other woman was staying over there, away from D.C. and Booth.

With his head bowed as if studying the plate his food had been on, Booth continued. "Yeah; and it looks like she's going to stay there."

At that last comment, two heads snapped up and looked towards each other. Blue eyes met brown ones, and locked. Slowly, Brennan looked over Booth's face, and could see that there was more he was trying to say to her. She loved studying his face, his features. Some of her favorite memories were of days when Booth fell asleep on her couch and she would take time to just look at him. His face had long ago been etched in her memory – the strong jawline, the muscled features, the perfectly proportioned features that all together made up her partner, her friend, her…

"Bones. Hey, you-whooo. Where'd you go?"

Brennan came back to the table (metaphorically) and blushed when she realized she'd zoned out. "Sorry Booth, I was just thinking of something."

"Care to share?" he asked. Booth had a feeling he knew what had happened, but now wasn't the time to tease her. Now was the time to tell her what he should have said a long time ago. With a deep breath, Booth began his story.

"Bones, I called Hannah to tell her that now that I'm back here and there is distance between us , I realized that continuing a relationship with her wouldn't work." _There, I said it! Now if Bones just understands what I said… _

"So you broke off your relationship because of distance?" Brennan was a bit concerned. _All it would take is for the reporter to be reassigned to the area and they might start up again?_ Brennan didn't like the thought of that.

"No Bones. I broke up with Hannah. I told her that I was ending our relationship."

"Why?" Brennan needed to hear the words from him. She hoped that her confession the night they first got home was at least part of the reason for him breaking up with the reporter, but Brennan needed to hear it from him to make it all real. She trusted Booth more than she'd ever trusted anyone since she was 15. And yet she still needed to hear him say the words.

"Oh Bones… don't you know? I asked you last year to give us a chance. You turned me down then…"

"Booth, please" but she was cut off by his raised hand, signifying he needed to say more.

"Bones, I understand why you couldn't say yes to me last year. I rushed you that night. I'm sorry for that. I know you need to process things, and I didn't give you the time you needed. When you couldn't say yes to me right away, I said the only thing I could say – that I had to move on. And then when I was overseas, and met Hannah, I thought why not? At the time, I thought that we had missed our chance, and we were never going to be more than partners and friends, and so I allowed Hannah into my life. You were in Indonesia, I hadn't heard from you during that time… I thought you had moved past that, didn't want an 'us', and… " As he said the words, Booth was watching Bones to see how she was taking it all. He didn't want to freak her out, but he needed to explain it completely to her. When he saw that she was keeping up with him, digesting all the information, he continued. "The funny thing is, that while she was a part of my life, and I enjoyed her company… she wasn't you."

Brennan looked into his eyes after he said those words, and swore she could see something different in them. Was it love? She couldn't be sure, but there was definitely something different in the way he was looking at her, in the way she was feeling while he was looking at her. After a few moments, Brennan found her voice. "Booth, you know I never meant to hurt you, right? Because, the last thing in the world I'd ever want to do is hurt you. You've been my friend, my partner… and for a long time I thought I was ok with just that. It was more than I've had for so long in my life… I didn't want to lose that. Does this make sense?"

Booth reached across the table and took her hand in his. As he rubbed his thumb back and forth over the top of her hand, he looked back into those brilliant blue eyes he had fallen for so long ago. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed looking into them – and knew he needed to tell her.

"Bones, you know, don't you, that you have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen? I could get lost in them. I could spend a whole day just looking at you, you are so beautiful."

With all this praise, Brennan was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious, and looked down at the table to regroup. Booth stopped his ministrations, figuring that he'd pushed a bit too hard, too fast, yet again. "Hey look, Bones, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He stopped talking, but after just a second or two jumped back in. "But, I've missed you, and I've missed us. I need to know though, that you really meant what you said that night at the Lincoln. You really want to give this a try? Seriously, you're willing to try and give a personal, romantic relationship together a shot? Cause if you're not sure, Bones… if you don't really mean it or want this, then I gotta know. I mean, I won't go back to Hannah, but I can't have my heart crushed because you're not sure."

He had an almost pleading look to his eyes as he asked her these questions. Brennan knew he needed answers, needed reassurance that she would seriously give them a chance. They'd danced around this question, this situation for so long, that neither of them could be sure of what was going on. It was almost like a dream.

Still holding onto one hand, Brennan squeezed it and looked him in the eye. "Booth, I won't lie and say I'm not frightened of all this. It terrifies me that we could possibly ruin our friendship, our partnership. But… I want to give it a try. I'm tired of going home to no one, of not having someone special in the other parts of my life outside of work. I know you won't purposely hurt me, and I haven't felt that way about anyone close to me, in a long, long time. What I'm trying to say, is that what I want, Booth, is you."

With that said, Booth practically jumped up and was at her side, pulling Brennan to her feet. He hugged her so hard, she had trouble breathing. After a moment she gave up trying to breath and just melted into his chest. She hugged him in return, and was soothed by Booth rubbing his hand up and down her back. It was amazing how well they fit together… almost as if their bodies were made for each other – two halves of a whole. Booth put his hands on her shoulders and put some space between them. Looking into her eyes, Booth said "Bones, I'm going to kiss you now" and bent his head so that his lips were hovering over hers. As their lips brushed against each other, Brennan's body involuntarily moved towards his and as they touched, as if magnetically drawn to him. Her eyes closed and she pressed her lips firmly onto his. It was like fireworks were going off inside her stomach – the feeling of wonder and excitement took hold of her and Brennan was lost in their kiss.

A little while later, they broke apart and gasped for air. Foreheads touching, they both opened their eyes and as if on cue, they smiled at the other. They both knew that this was right, this was where they belonged. For Brennan, it was a feeling like coming home; for Booth, it was acceptance – she was accepting him, and he realized that that was what he had been looking for. One more quick kiss to her lips, and Booth finally spoke. "Bones, there's nothing more I would like than to spend the day with you, with us. But what about we go to work, do our jobs, and tonight we go out to dinner?"

"You mean like a date, Booth?"

"Yeah Bones, like a date. Temperance Brennan, will you go out with me?" The kiss he got back was better than any reply he could have hoped for. It was too short, but he planned to make up for that later tonight. And, he figured, he had time to work on getting some more kisses from his partner, his friend, his love.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Sorry it's been so long since the last update. I actually liked the last two episodes we got before this hiatus, but they seem to have taken my muse hostage and I've been trying to figure out how to do this big date ever since then. I think I've finally figured it out – at least part of it. I haven't decided where to go from here, but I don't want to make you wait any longer, so here's the next part. If it seems in character, I'd appreciate hearing about it. **

Of course, Bones belongs to Fox and all those people in Hollywood. If it were mine, they wouldn't have ever gone in opposite directions for seven months!

If they had been honest with themselves, and with their employers, they should have just taken the day off – because neither Booth nor Brennan was very productive throughout the day. There wasn't a case to keep them preoccupied, so for both of them, the focus of their day was on what would happen tonight.

Temperance Brennan had long been known as the queen of compartmentalizing, but she found her grip on that skill slipping today. Luckily, Cam was busy with reports and had practically locked herself in her office with a threat to everyone to not disturb her unless there was a body on the platform that needed her attention. Brennan was grateful that Angela was preoccupied as well, focused on a doctor's appointment she had that afternoon. Pregnancy had caused Ange to look inward more often; being so attentive to the child growing inside her, that she missed some of Brennan's moods and looks lately – and for that the Anthropologist was grateful. She didn't want to let anyone know about this new change in her relationship with Booth. It was too new, her emotions too powerful right now and she wanted time to understand them all herself, without the added burden of words from others.

Booth was in no better shape. While seated at his desk, he had been so engrossed in reliving their kisses from this morning that he didn't notice when Charlie came in his office. The younger agent had to call Booth's name twice before his mentor heard the sound of a voice and snapped back to the present. He was just grateful that it hadn't been Sweets inside his doorway – he would have had a much more difficult time explaining his way out of the daydream - and Booth was not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed by the kid today. He just wanted to stay in that happy place he was at, thinking about Bones and how he couldn't wait to touch her and kiss her again. The thought of running his hands up and down her body made him shiver in anticipation.

By 4 o'clock Booth had had enough of work (or pretending at it) and left the Hoover building. He had sent Bones an email right after lunch, telling her that he would pick her up at 7pm. She had replied and that was the last time they had communicated with each other. They were both too anxious to talk to the other – it was if they were saving up for tonight and it had both of them restless.

Standing inside her walk-in closet, Brennan debated on what to wear. After trying on a few outfits, she settled on a deep blue sleeveless dress with a deep neckline and a form-fitting shape. It clung to her curves in all the right places, but was not so tight to be too revealing. The dress accentuated her body without fitting like a glove – after all, she wanted to leave something to the imagination! A matching silver and blue wrap over her shoulders was the final piece to the outfit. Makeup applied, she slipped on a silver necklace that threatened to dip between her cleavage, giving the outfit the finishing touch she had been looking for. Blue three-inch heels that complimented her dress gave her just enough height to now be eye-to-eye with her date.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Brennan recognized it as Booth's knock, and in a move that she knew would get a reaction out of him, called out "its open Booth, come on in" even as she moved through the hallway to stand on the opposite end of the living room from the front door.

As he opened the door and walked through the threshold, Booth whined "Bones, please tell me you just unlocked the door and it hasn't been open for lon…." Booth couldn't complete the thought, because he'd finally gotten a look at his partner and what she was wearing. Without thinking about it, Booth reached up to the collar on his dress shirt and tugged at it. Suddenly his dark grey shirt felt tight around his throat. He held onto a bouquet of daffodils and while he was stretching out his shirt collar the flowered-hand dipped so that the petals were pointing towards the floor. One bloom slipped out from the center of the bunch, and as Brennan walked towards him she bent down to retrieve the wayward piece. Booth didn't understand what had happened – all he saw was his beautiful partner walking, stoop down directly in front of him, and when he tilted his head, all kinds of wicked thoughts went through his brain.

Quickly Brennan had picked up the flower and after straightening up, she reached for the rest of the bouquet to add hers to it. Booth's brain finally engaged – but not before his face had turned red enough that Brennan had no trouble deciphering what he had been thinking. She was kind enough to not mention it, and instead gave him a smile and said softly, "hi". Booth looked into her eyes and all he could muster in response was another "hi." He was mesmerized by her. Her makeup gave her eyes a smoky look; she had on his favorite perfume, her hair was pulled up, but a few wisps were curled expertly around her face. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look so stunning, and he was speechless from her appearance.

After a moment of starring at her, his brain seemed to kick in and Booth leaned in to give her a kiss. Brennan accepted the invitation and kissed him back. They both were anxious and nervous, and it showed in the tentative steps they were taking with each other. The kiss was almost chaste – no tongue, no getting lost in the action. Clearing his throat after the kiss (and trying to knock the cobwebs from his brain at the same time), Booth finally got his voice back. "You look stunning, Bones." A blush of pink on her cheeks told him he'd said the right thing.

After she put the flowers in a vase, Booth asked "are you ready to go?" As he asked the question, he offered his bent elbow to her. He wasn't sure if she'd take it, or give him a lecture on his silly mannerisms. To Booth's surprise, she nodded quietly and gently grabbed on to his arm. Once they were out the door she fully linked her arm through his while waiting for the elevator to arrive.

Dinner was at a restaurant in the Georgetown area of DC. It had a sweeping view of the Potomac River and Booth thought it would be a romantic setting for them. He had spent a good part of the afternoon trying to decide where to go for dinner; in the end he settled on a cozy Italian restaurant he remembered Bones and Angela had been to, and had bragged about their vegetarian dishes. While being led to their table by the Maître De, Booth put his hand on the small of her back – a place his hand had been hundreds of times through the years. This time though, Bones tensed for a split second as she felt the familiar appendage on her back for the first time in almost a year. She quickly recovered and relaxed, realizing that it had been a while since she'd felt it there. It was a comfortable feeling, and the small smile that grew on her lips gave Booth the courage to keep his hand there. He'd felt her muscles tighten and wondered if he should remove his hand, but her quick reflex soon gave way to an easing of his fears.

Dinner was very pleasant. The food was wonderful and Brennan was impressed that Booth had been thoughtful enough to find an establishment that had good vegetarian dishes on the menu. It was little things like that, which had her realize yet again how well Booth knew her, and treated her.

Throughout the dinner they chatted about work, about how they were both settling in to familiar routines and life getting back to normal. Booth filled her in on what Parker was doing in school, and how much he had grown since last year. Bones still hadn't seen him and was anxious to. The thought that his partner wanted to spend time with his son, made him smile.

"What are you smiling about, Booth?" She'd seen the look in his eyes and knew he was very happy about something. They'd talked about so much, that she wasn't sure what had captured his attention.

"I'm just happy, Bones. Happy that you ask about how my son is doing; happy that you enjoyed your food and my choice of restaurant… I'm just happy that we're here tonight, together." Brennan didn't know if she had ever been happier, as she listened to his words.

As he spoke Booth reached out and gently grabbed one delicate hand that had been across the table. He was now rubbing his thumb over the back of it in a soft, sensual caress. Looking into her eyes as he soothed his thumb over her hand, he couldn't resist the temptation. He slowly brought her hand to his lips where he had been touching her; all the while, his eyes were locked on hers. As his lips met with her soft skin, his lips parted as if he were kissing her hand as he would her lips. The sensuous feeling made Brennan's eyes dilate and her breathe catch.

Booth let go of a breath he had been holding as their eyes had locked. He still held her hand, but pushed his chair back and went to stand. Brennan watched him the whole time, unsure what was going on, but eyeing him as she refused to break visual contact. As he stood, Booth asked "would you please dance with me, Bones?"

A smile broke over her face as she said "I'd love to, Booth" and she rose from her chair. They found a spot in the corner of the dance floor that they could call their own, and Booth brought her close to him. He held her close as he breathed her in. The combination of her shampoo, body wash, perfume, & her own essence gave Booth a heady feeling… it was all so familiar and yet new and exciting to him. He couldn't help the involuntary reflex to pull her even closer and breathe deep.

The music was a bit faster than their synchronized swaying, but neither one cared. All they could register was the feeling of each other's body pressed up to their own. Soon the music slowed down to match their pace, and Booth's mind registered that they were on the dance floor. His hand relaxed the tight grip he'd had on her waist, and he began to move more in tune with the music. He kissed the top of her head and in return, Brennan turned her head and placed a kiss on his neck. The sensuous feeling caused a quiet moan to escape Booth's mouth, and he melted into her touch. Brennan continued to place soft wet kisses on his neck, while her hands moved up his back until they gently linked around his neck. Soon she tilted her head up and looked into his eyes, seeing the desire they held. It was the same look he saw in her eyes, and they both knew they were heading into new territory. The comforting thought they both had, was that they each were ready for this. It was a hard-won victory that they were here – dancing in each other's arms, seeing the want and desire in the other's eyes and neither one afraid or backing down.

After a few more songs they left the dance floor. Booth paid the bill and they gathered up their belongings, and walked down the street hand in hand. They both knew what they wanted to have happen next, but they were almost afraid to air those thoughts/desires.

When they got to the vehicle Booth unlocked it but didn't open the door. Instead he turned to Brennan and enveloped her in his arms and kissed her. As he did, his lips parted and his tongue sought permission to enter her. Brennan gladly acquiesced, and took him in. The feeling was one she would later describe as a homecoming. It was if his mouth, his tongue belonged there inside hers. It was such a natural feeling, just so _right_, that it caused her to shiver in excitement and anticipation. Booth mistook her shiver for cold, and broke off the kiss. "You cold, Bones?"

"No Booth, I'm not cold at all. I feel just right."

He kissed her once more and then opened the door and let Brennan settle inside. He closed the door and went around to his side. Before he started the engine he looked over to her sitting there, with the glow of the streetlamp highlighting her auburn hair and shadowing her face. Booth had to see her eyes – he moved across the seat to find them, and looked into the azure depths. He felt he could drown in her eyes, they held him captivated. Soon though, he lost sight of them again as Brennan closed her eyes and moved the final distance to him, kissing Booth with a hungry demand. She had meant for it to be a sweet kiss – but as her lips found his she couldn't help herself, and pressed them firmly to his. This time Brennan's tongue prodded for admittance. Once it was granted, their mouths devoured each other, their tongues swirling in a ritualized dance. Oxygen caused them to break apart, but only enough to catch a breath. They continued to hold on to one another, not wanting to put space between them. There had been too much distance between them for far too long, and it was as if they were trying to make up for lost time.

After a moment to calm down, Booth moved back over to his side of the SUV. His heart was pounding, his breath was labored, and his pants were tight. He was glad for the darkness inside, because as much as he wanted her, Booth didn't want to pressure Bones. Everything had gone so well tonight, he didn't want to push his luck.

On the other side of the vehicle, Brennan was also trying to catch her breath. She was just as aroused as her partner. Even though she couldn't really see his reaction, the way he had kissed her in return had left Brennan with no doubt of what he wanted. The thought of what tonight was leading to caused her breathing to increase, and Brennan had to fight for control to calm her heart rate down.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again, to all who have read this story, those who've left comments (I truly appreciate your thoughts), and others who have marked the story as a favorite. It means a lot to me that you are following along, and I wish I could have finished it up sooner so as not to leave you all hanging. Here, at long last, is the final chapter. If you feel so inclined, please let me know your thoughts.**

**Once again, I cannot claim Bones as my own. The show belongs to Fox… this story however, is mine!**

Chapter 7 

The ride home from the restaurant was over before she realized it. Brennan had spent most of the trip in a haze, and if pressed she wouldn't have been able to tell you what she was thinking about or where they were. Booth hadn't told her where they were going – he simply drove on in silence, and Brennan sat in the passenger seat looking out the window at nothing. Her mind was reeling. As if putting her memories in a movie player and clicking the 'play' button, she went through the night from start to finish – not missing a single kiss or caress in her encore presentation of their evening.

The kisses they'd shared outside of the car had left both of them breathless, and a bit light-headed. Brennan was so engrossed in reliving the kisses that she hadn't noticed the rain and wind. The next thing she knew, Booth had parked the car at her apartment building and opened the door for her. A gust of wind threatened to pull the door from out of his hand, and he had to hold on tight with one hand while reaching for Bones with the other. "Here Bones, give me your hand. It's pretty windy out."

Of course he half-expected Brennan to give him a lecture on his alpha male tendencies; in fact he was a bit surprised when she quietly acquiesced and gave him her right hand. As she got out of the car the weather seemed to snap her out of her reverie a bit, and she looked around a bit as if taking in the conditions for the first time. The harsh conditions seemed to wake her up and she grabbed his hand and held tightly. Thoughts of lips crashing together were put on hold until the got inside the warmth of her apartment building, and with a slight tug of her hand Booth and Bones were jogging over to the security of the brick structure.

Soon they were in Brennan's apartment, the weather temporarily putting their libidos on hold. Even though they'd run from the car to the building, they'd gotten fairly soaked and once inside the door Brennan had walked straight towards the linen closet and grabbed a big fluffy towel for Booth to dry himself off with. "I'll be right back Booth" she had told him. "I just want to get into something more comfortable." She'd made the comment after giving him the towel and while he was attempting to dry his head. Booth couldn't help the chuckle that came out of him at her comment. She'd come a long way in understanding current phrases and pop culture references, but there was still so much that went over her head and at times like these, all he could do was shake his head and smile at her. He knew that her naiveté was one of the traits that drew him to her; at first it was irritating, but through the years Booth had come to find it just so 'Brennan-like' that he found himself a little disappointed when she now got little phrases like that right.

And so, while his partner (girlfriend?) went in to change, Booth toweled off his damp hair, took his wet suit coat off, and thought about the things that made Temperance Brennan unique. As he ran through a checklist in his mind, he came up with words like brilliant, focused, determined… moving on to generous, big-hearted, sincere… and then his heart turned in a different direction and he came up with descriptors such as gorgeous, sexy, luscious… and Booth found his breathing had turned into short pants, almost gasping for air as he saw Brennan in his mind, with all her luscious curves.

Of course it was at this precise moment that the object of his desires walked back into her living room, now dressed in a pair of yoga pants and low-cut top. It was that top that drew his eyes in, because of the way it curved and dipped just so, allowing him a glimpse of her cleavage and what lay underneath the garment. His eyes were glued to her chest, and if a bomb had exploded it is doubtful that Booth would have heard it – so focused on the sight before him. "Like what you see?" she asked. Booth finally broke out of his reverie at the sound of Bones' voice, and bringing his eyes up to hers, all he could do was gulp in a breath of air and feel his cheeks flame.

"Bones, I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" was all he got out, because once he finally looked into her eyes and saw the laughter there, he snapped out of the fog he had just been in. In fact, seeing the joy in her eyes, and the fact that she wasn't upset or about to spout some kind of feminist tirade, made Booth revert back to the alpha male that he was – and that meant telling her what he really wanted to say. "Bones, I really didn't mean to ogle you" he spoke the words as he walked towards her. There was now a glint in his eyes as he looked her over.

"Booth, I beg to differ, but that is exactly what you were doing. But…" she put her hand out, palming his chest, as Booth had now stopped less than a step away from her, "I have to admit that the look in your eye has certain appeal to me." And with that, Brennan's other hand came up to lightly cup the back of his neck. They moved closer together, their lips barely an inch apart. As Booth breathed out, Brennan took in his breath. She looked into his eyes and he bore down into her blue pools.

Just as Brennan thought he was about to kiss her, Booth began to talk. "As I was trying to say, I didn't mean to stare at your body," he had to raise a finger to her lips to keep her from talking, "but it is such perfection, that I can't help myself." As Brennan smiled at his platitudes, Booth closed the gap and finally kissed her. It was a kiss that conveyed all his desires, his joy at finally being able to hold her and kiss her, and know that she wanted to do the same.

It was this thought – that they were both finally feeling the same and not afraid to express it, that hit him like a thunderbolt. Booth broke free of their kiss and wrapped Bones in a huge embrace. At first Brennan was confused – she had been enjoying the kiss and wasn't ready to stop; but when he began to hug her, she hugged him back. That is, until he picked her up and swung her around and around. The joy that Booth was feeling was almost too big to contain, and he was behaving like she'd never seen him act before. When he finally put her down, Brennan had to ask "what was that for?"

"Bones, I'm just so happy. I've waited for us to be on the same page, at the same time, for so long now. I thought we'd missed our chance last year, when you went to Maluku and I went to the desert. I'm just… I don't know how to say it, but… I had almost given up… oh hell" and instead of talking, Booth crushed Brennan to him and began kissing her again. As his mouth ravaged hers, his hands were roaming all over her body. One hand in her hair, running his fingers through her damp tresses; the other moving up and down her back until he finally stopped at the base of her back and snuck his fingers underneath the cotton top. As he caressed her skin, he could feel both their desires spike. He pressed his pelvis forward and Brennan could feel him against her lower abdomen. As she arched into his touch and his kisses, Booth could feel her hardened nipples press into his chest.

As they deepened the kiss, Booth thought he must b getting light-headed from a lack of oxygen because he was sure he was hearing bells and alarms going off all around him. When Bones broke off the kiss and started to move away from him, he gently grabbed her arms. "Bones, don't go…"

"Booth, our phones are going off."

As reality sunk in, he implored "let them ring. I don't want to stop this."

"Booth, we have to answer. What if it's a case?"

"So what. I've waited too long to have you in my arms. I don't want anything to interfere with us now" he said in all seriousness. And as if to prove his point, the phones had stopped ringing. The cocky smile he wore told her that he was right to have disregarded the call, and he started to lean in to resume their battle of tongues. As a pair of phones started to chime once again, it was Brennan's turn to look smug.

"I knew it. It must be a case. Booth, we really have to answer that." Booth's only reply was to rest his forehead against hers for a brief moment before they both reached for their respective cell phones.

It had been a long three days. Brennan was tired, and once again she was coming into her apartment after being out in wet weather. As cases went, this one hadn't been as difficult as some they'd worked on through the years. The victim had been easily identified as Dr. Lauren Eames, a bright, gifted surgeon at a DC hospital. One of Dr. Eames colleagues' had brought by a box of her belongings to the FBI, hoping that records and transcription cd's might help the team to determine what had happened based on 'getting a feel for her' through listening to her voice. While Brennan had initially balked at the notion, she ended up listening to the doctor's audio files and felt like she came to know the victim better through this approach.

Booth and Brennan interviewed the father of one of her patients, eventually determining that Mr. Dworsky was simply a concerned father wanting any help he could get for his ailing son – but not someone who would have killed the doctor because she'd refused a possible heart transplant for the boy. When they talked to Chris Markham, the Transplant Services pilot and the one rumored to have affections for Dr. Eames, Brennan had come away with a feeling of sorrow for the man and for the doctor; sorrow for what they both missed out on.

It had been the feeling that the couple had let an opportunity slip away, that had eaten at Brennan for the remainder of her time on the case. She split her focus between the case they were working, and the romantic relationship just beginning between her and Booth. Brennan didn't feel pressure with Booth about it, because he was the one who had seen how much the death of the prominent surgeon had initially affected Bones. He'd stopped by her office late the first full day on the case, and told her that he knew she was throwing herself into this one, and they would 'pick up where they left off the other night, once they weren't so deeply involved in the case.' As a reply for his thoughtfulness, Brennan had squeezed his hand, looked him in the eyes and said "thank you, Booth. I swear I'm not running from us… this case seems to be affecting me very much, and I just want to find out what happened to her. I haven't forgotten about the other night, and I'm anxious to resume what we'd started. Please, just, let's finish this case first." Booth had then kissed her (rather possessively) and said he would give her the time she needed to complete the case – but then they had unfinished business that would take priority!

What had taken the team a while to determine was how she was killed. Hodgins had identified that her head struck a reflective surface 10 centimeters in length; he'd also found traces of heroin on her clothes. Eventually they pieced together the sad life of a woman so focused on her work that she'd let life pass her by; and so upset by her world that she took risky chances. The one risk she took that was not an attempt to breathe life into her soul, was the one that had ended up killing her.

Booth and Brennan bickered over whether it was foolish or not for Dr. Eames to go to Woodland to visit the family of the brain-dead child Charlie Whaling. Brennan could understand why the surgeon would go to the family home even though it was in a bad neighborhood. Bones argued that since the doctor had been in the area before to buy heroin from the drug dealer that had stabbed her, Lauren Eames would have felt comfortable enough to go to the apartment to plead to the family to give up the boy's organs for transplant. Booth thought it was a risky and foolish move, that any number of bad things could happen there and that the doctor getting killed was his proof.

In the end, they had visited the street where the Whaling's lived and Brennan spotted the cracked road reflector. They determined the likely scenario that the doctor had been hit by a car, the driver panicking and burying her in the park under the dogwood tree that had been uprooted in the storm.

Standing in her apartment, she took off her trench coat and put it on the coat rack to dry. Brennan let out a sigh - she was relieved that they'd found COD for the doctor, but she couldn't shake the idea that up until recently, Dr. Eames' life had mirrored her own. They both were driven, successful professional women, unmarried and without children. But, Brennan told herself, she had recently allowed herself the frightening possibility of letting someone into her life. She had told Booth of her regret last year; had made the first move this time to let him know she was ready to give of herself to a relationship with him – that was where Brennan believed she was different from the surgeon. Brennan knew there was still a good chance that a romantic relationship with Booth might not work out in the end, but she had been brave enough to want to try for that. She would have no regrets even if things didn't work out for them as a couple.

As she played these thoughts over in her mind, Brennan hadn't realized that Booth had opened her front door and was standing behind her. When he gently put his hands on her shoulders from behind, and then moved the hair off her neck and gently kissed her, Brennan finally came aware of him. She meant to say something, but as he continued to suckle her neck, all she could do was lean her head away to give him more room – and moan her appreciation of his action.

After a few kisses that had both their blood beginning to boil, Brennan turned around but stayed in Booth's grasp. "Thank you for letting me finish this case without pressure from you for more from _us_. As the case played out, I was drawn more into it – into the life of Dr. Eames, and I felt like I got to know her. I needed to find out what happened to her. I know it wasn't fair to you, but I needed to do that first."

"Bones" Booth said adoringly, "I understand. Really, I do. At least with this case; I could see how you identified with the doctor, and as usual you wanted to find justice for her. I was willing to wait on us, because I could tell that you weren't running away from me again. My radar didn't tell me to watch for flights to the far side of the world. I knew what you were doing."

"Booth, that's ridiculous! You don't have radar – that's a physical impossibility! That would mean…" Brennan didn't have a chance to continue her rant, because Booth had pulled her close to him and started kissing her. After a half second, Brennan had given up the lecture, joined in, and kissed him back.

Later that evening as they lay in Brennan's bed covered only with each other's body, the only thought that was going through her mind was how _right_ she felt. She was snuggled on her side next to her lover, one leg thrown over Booth's athletic, masculine leg, and all she could think about was how right it all felt. They had joined together, Booth showing her at last, what he'd meant so long ago about breaking the laws of physics. They had shared in an ecstasy that neither one had ever experienced before. Booth had even told her that making love to her was different than any other experience he'd had in the past, and he attributed it to the fact (according to Booth) that they were meant for each other. To his surprise, Brennan hadn't said a word, made a sound, or registered any kind of disbelief in what he had said. She'd simply snuggled in closer, laying her head on his pectorals, and kissed his skin. She was letting her heart take the lead, and her heart was telling her to just enjoy. On an intellectual level, they both knew there would be obstacles for them to overcome, but at the moment, they were simply lying in each others' arms, loving the moment. Tomorrow would come… tonight they had each other.


End file.
